How to Open the Solution Explorer in VS Code

If you’re working as a programmer and using Visual Studio Code, you’ll likely have to deal with Solution Explorer. The code editor helps with various operations such as task running, version control, and debugging. If you’re just starting with CSS and HTML, this is the perfect tool to help you work on more complex projects and manage your source code.

In this article, we’ll outline the steps to open Solution Explorer and answer some common questions, like how to improve the performance of this tool and track active items.

How to Open Solution Explorer

The Solution Explorer window should appear on the upper-right side of the Visual Studio IDE by default. If you don’t see the tool window, you can open it from the VS menu bar by following these steps.

On Windows

1. Click on “View.”
   
2. Choose “Solution Explorer.”
   

You can also open it by pressing CTRL + ALT + L.

On macOS

If you’re using macOS, follow these steps instead:

1. Click on “View.”
   
2. Click on “Solution.”
   

What Is Solution Explorer?

The Solution Explorer in Visual Studio Code assists programmers and developers in managing their projects better. It enables navigating files, making the necessary changes, and keeping track of them.

It also helps developers view the project structure, add or remove files from the project, and open new ones.

Solution Explorer offers a variety of different and useful features to its users, such as project properties and creating class diagrams. It’s an essential tool for project organization.

How to Open a Solution Folder in VS Code

Your Solution folder contains one or more projects. It’s a virtual folder only used in Solution Explorer to group your related projects.

Here’s how you can open a Solution folder in VS Code for both macOS and Windows:

1. Launch “Visual Studio” and go to “File menu.”
   
2. Click on “Open” and then “Folder”.
   
3. A window will appear and ask you to select the solution folder you want to open.
   
4. Select the folder and click on “Select Folder.” The solution folder will automatically open in Visual Studio.
   

Now that you’re in, you can browse the folders and files and make the necessary changes.

How to Open Files in Solution Explorer in VS Code

Just like folders, opening projects in Solution Explorer is a straightforward process. There are four ways to open projects in Solution Explorer:

• Double-click on the file you want to open, or right-click on it and select “Open.”
• Drag and drop the selected project from Solution Explorer to an open-editor window.
• Drag and drop the selected project(s) from outside VS Code and add them directly to the Solution Explorer existing project.
• Select the project from the “File Menu” of VS Code.

How to Restore Solution Explorer in VS Code

You must restore your Solution Explorer if a data corruption or install failure occurs. Fixing Solution Explorer in Visual Studio is fairly straightforward.

1. Go to Visual Studio IDE under “Window.”
   
2. Click on “Reset Window Layout.”
   
3. Choose “Yes.”
   

The Solution Explorer will automatically go back to the default layout.

Additional FAQs

How do you track active items in Solution Explorer?

You can automatically track an active item in Solution Explorer. Here’s how to get started:

1. Navigate to “Menu” and go to “Tools.”

2. Click on “Option” and then “Projects and Solution.”

3. Go to “General.”

4. Click on “Track Active Items.”

How to improve Visual Studio startup performance

You can improve VS Code startup performance with the following three settings:

• Check the option to initialize parallel projects.

• Uncheck the option to reopen documents on Solution load.

• Uncheck restoring the project hierarchy state on a Solution load.

How to open Solution Explorer in CRM

You can open Solution Explorer in CRM with these steps:

1. Go to “Settings.”

2. Click on “Customizations.”

3. Select the “Customize the System” option.

Maximizing Your Solution

If you’re a programmer, you’ll probably have to incorporate using Solution Explorer into your workday. It’s useful because it helps you with your source code and managing multiple projects. Opening the tool in VS Code is pretty straightforward, and the steps work across the various macOS and Windows versions.

Do you have experience with Solution Explorer? Is this a helpful interface for you? Let us know by dropping a comment below.